1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to avionics systems and more particularly to a high integrity, high availability avionics display architecture for an avionics display system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern onboard avionics networks serve to provide data transfer between various components of an aircraft. Avionics systems typically have a variety of systems that provide data to processing components of the aircraft or exchange data among one or more components of the aircraft. For example, a variety of avionics modules may gather avionics data (e.g., sensors detecting speed, direction, external temperature, control surface positions, and the like) that is routed by the avionics system via an avionics network to one or more aircraft components such as displays, monitoring circuits, processors, and the like.
In some aircraft systems, the avionics network may be constructed with an Aeronautical Radio Inc. (ARINC) 429 data bus capable of supporting communication between many components. More recently, Ethernet networks have been used in avionic network environments by leveraging Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) technology to increase bandwidth and reduce cost.
Ethernet type networks have been used in communication networks for implementing communication among various network components. An Ethernet network may be used to send or route data in a digital form by packets or frames. Each packet contains a set of data, and the packet is generally not interpreted while sent through the Ethernet network. In an avionics network environment, the Ethernet network typically has different components that subscribe to the avionics network and connect to each other through switches. Each network subscriber can send packets in digital form, at controlled rates, to one or more other subscribers. When a switch receives the packets, the switch determines the destination equipment and directs or switches the packets to such equipment.
Such Ethernet networks may include ARINC-664 based networks. In a switched full-duplex Ethernet type network, the term “full-duplex” refers to sending and receiving packets at the same time on the same link, and the term “switched” refers to the packets being switched in switches on appropriate outputs. However, the ARINC-664 network uses multiple switches and redundant paths to route data, point-to-point or point-to-multipoint across the switches. Typically, remote data concentrators are connected using a wired ARINC-664 network.
FIG. 1 (Prior Art) is a schematic illustration of the avionics display architecture for an avionics display system presently utilized in a Boeing 787 aircraft. As can be seen in this Figure the Boeing 787 architecture includes a Integrated Module Architecture (IMA) system, also referred to as a Common Core System (CCS) that includes a right processing cabinet of the IMA system, also referred to as a right common computing resource (CCR), a left CCR, an ARINC-664 Network, and Remote Data Concentrators (RDCs). Each CCR includes Graphics Generation Modules (GGMs) and General Processing Modules (GPMs). The Display and Crew Alerting (DCA) system includes the software applications within the CCS and the displays of the display system. (Thus, the DCA system includes the GPMs and the GGMs.) There are five heads down displays (HDD) and two heads up displays (HUD). The RDCs are operatively connected to a variety of aircraft sensors and other systems.
The Boeing 787 Display and Crew Alerting System within the Common Core System (CCS) architecture is over 10 years old. The DCA system consumes five of the sixteen GPMs of the CCS. Four GGMs (double width application specific modules) are based on the older graphics generation hardware. This current system has limited growth capacity and is based on late 1990's technology which requires more space and power than more modern electronics.